Wacky Reference Wednesday, No. 146

Wacky Reference Wednesday, No. 146

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Captain America: First Vengeance #1 Cover. 2010.
Gouache and acrylic on bristol board, 11 x 17".

You may remember this cover from earlier in the year, long before Chris Evans and I became best friends (in that he has any idea who I am). Not having the actor available to pose, I did what I always do: I took pictures of myself.

I love making that face. I also love moving my jaw forward to make it look stronger.

This, combined with reference of the actor and the costume that was available on-line (somewhat limited at the time) provided all the information necessary for a convincing rendering. This was work done on spec, so I skimped on the shield and the background in order to save time.

pencil study, 4 × 6″, and the subsequent digital color study

Another attempt at time-saving was a digital color study that I printed onto the final board. I've done this on 3 different paintings with varied results. In this case, it did seem to help the process along, especially in the beginning.

The first image is almost entirely the digital print.

The progress pics above are from the early stages of painting. Since the painting surface, 500 series bristol board, was not intended for inkjet printing, the colors are very subdued and lighter in tone. Despite this, it provided enough context to allow for a rapid paint application.

⊡ 9:27:00 AM